About

Hi there! I'm Kristin.

Wife, Pooch-ma, Photographer, Writer, Fitness Professional, Piano Teacher, Foodie, World Traveler, Glamper, Locavore, and Wanna-be Minimalist.

I write about all those things (and more!) here on Ingleside, and I hope you enjoy stopping by often to share little slices of my life.

My Heart:

I'm an unusual soul - as anyone who knows me well will tell you... I am passionate about living an intentional life, and nothing rattles me more than getting caught up and swept away in the "busy" of everyday status quo here in America. My heart is definitely more of the European persuasion, and we pop across the pond every chance we get! I am a Christ-follower and child of grace.

I believe one of the reasons I was placed upon this earth is to help women accept and embrace their own unique form of beauty, give them permission to love and care for themselves, help encourage them to stand against the tide, slow down, breathe, discover the beautiful in the mundane, the joy to be found in the savoring of life, and that it's so worth the effort of building your tribe: those people who value you, care for you, and love you well. Wealth indeed.

I Dream:
Of a life filled with community: good friends, good food, and slow living. Without the distractions of packed schedules, demanding jobs, and the maintenance of modern living.

Why Ingleside?

Ingleside is the name of our present home, and was taken from the Anne of Green Gables book series by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

My Family:

I married my best friend when I was 19 years old, and am daily grateful for what a gift this man has been to me. He is such a gentle soul, kind, intuitive, caring, deep, and surprisingly, we share so many of the same hobbies, desires, and tastes. He fits me like a glove, and I just love sharing life together. - We don't have human children (and don't plan to), but we do have a little furry Bichon Frise pup named Caroline. She is a complete airhead, totally adorable, 100% joy, world class licker (seriously: she never stops) and fills our days with laughter.

My Home:

I live in beautiful Southwestern Virginia, nestled between the mountains. We live in the city, right on a main thoroughfare, and within easy walking distance of our central village. Ingleside was built in 1925, and we love her old character and charm. We just recently sold our home of 13 years: Windy Poplars. It was such a quiet, lovely retreat... Her three acres were private and secluded, complete with a babbling brook and overflowing flower gardens, we loved so much about our place, and knew that it would be a tall order to find something that was its equal! But here we are loving this new (very different) season of life, and exploring the adventure of becoming an integral part of our community.

My Writing:

For the longest time, I've been a writer. From penning poems and songs as a wee thing, to writing for the high school newsletter and yearbooks, to birthing and burying several blogs over the years. It's in my blood, and whenever I go for a time without it, I always feel the void. I'm not a "proper" writer. I write how I think - and sometimes, how I speak. That means starting sentences with "And", or sprinkling in an assortment of words that aren't really words. I use a ton of abbreviations (most of them made up by my husband that have become common speech around these parts), and am rather fond of parentheses and an occasional run-on sentence or two. But all that's ok, right?! No grammar policing here. Although I will say, nothing bugs me more than the misuse of "their", "they're" and "there", "your" and "you're", or "too" and "to". ;-)

Onward!

And now you know quite a bit about me. If you've made it this far: bravo! I so look forward to getting to know you too! I've met some of my dearest friends through blogging...people I've kept in touch with over the years, visited, Skyped, texted, e-mailed, vacationed with, and "blated" (blogger-dated...is that SO 2010???). Social media is such a fun means of finding and connecting with other kindred spirits. I hope you'll comment and engage here... because stalkers are, after all, rather creepy. I can't wait to get to know you!

Thanks so much for stopping by...see you again soon?